"I thought Polonius was an intruder" Hamlet tells prosecution

The Prince of Denmark has told his murder trial that his future father-in-law, Polonius did not scream or shout as he took his sword and stabbed him through the arras.

Prosecutor, Jens Neilsen said it was “improbable” that he would stand behind the arras and say nothing while the Prince was just a few feet away ranting like a "madman" in his mother's closet.

Hamlet said he could not explain why Polonius had not shouted out.

The Prince, 29, denies murder saying the killing was a terrible accident. He admits killing Polonius but says he stabbed him after mistaking him for an intruder.

He believed that he had been in a different wing of the castle when he grabbed his sword, made his way to the arras and thrust the weapon through it.

The prosecution says he deliberately killed him after he found him eavesdropping.

He asked why he had not checked whether it was Polonius before he took the decision to stab him. Hamlet said it was his "personality" to confront what he believed was an intruder. This was backed up by his defence on production of a set of York 'A' Level revision notes.

Neighbours reported hearing a scream and the words, “O, I am slain” but cannot confirm if this was actually Polonius or a piece of ham acting on behalf of the Prince himself.

The trial has been adjourned until the funeral baked meats go cold on Monday morning.

Hamlet's legal team admitted they had been hampered by his refusal to plead insanity. 'My client says he is but mad north-north-west and that when the wind is from a southerly direction [sub please check - Ed.], he knows a hawk from a handsaw,' said defence counsel Torsten Rasmussen. 'No me neither, that's what he told me to say. Ten guineas please.'